Dormancy Desire
by InuGurl107
Summary: Richie doesn't understand how someone can wake up in the middle of the night, attempt to seduce another, and after falling asleep again, doesn't remember a thing. Virgil/Richie. Not beta'd. New lemon-y rating.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello, everyone. I'll keep this short. This is a multi-chapter, Virgil/Richie fic, obviously. This is dedicated to the good people at The Gas Station of Solitude on LiveJournal. I love you guys! 8D This is to hold you off until I complete Richie-Bug! It's in the making! (This'll be the third time uploading this because everytime I re-read it, I found a mistake and HAD to fix it!)

Disclaimer: Oh, Heathus! I wish! Not mine, I just love playing with toys. Don't sue me. I'm poor! Dx

EDIT: This re-work is done by Xilvrin on LJ. Thank you so much! It looks WAY better!

**Chapter 1**

It had been a long day in the restless city of Dakota. The summer's heat cooling ever so slightly in the night. Sweaty and sore, Static opened the door to the Gas Station of Solitude, Gear right behind him. Virgil quickly pulled off his mask and coat, throwing them carelessly to the corner near the boarded-up windows. Richie sighed as he removed his helmet, lifting his head to soak up the cooler air and kicked off his jet-skates, which had been damaged during the night's patrol. He ran his fingers over his forehead to move the damp bangs sticking to him from sweat.

"Rich, can you turn on the fan?" Virgil asked, plopping on the old sofa, one leg hanging off of it, the other draping across. Richie obliged, switching the fan on and putting it on the small stand next to the sofa. He put Backpack on the desk and walked over to the mocha- colored teen, arms folded, face pout-y. "What?" Virgil asked innocently.

"V," Richie whined. "scoot over! I wanna lay in front of the fan, too!"

Virgil laid his head back on the arm of the sofa, closing his eyes. "I'm not moving. I'm already comfy." To emphasize his point, ma made fake snoring sounds and when he stopped and opened his eyes, he broke out in laughter at Richie's expression.

Richie put his hands on his hips and his frown turned upward as an idea hit him. "Hey, do you want a soda?"

Virgil was clutching his stomach and laughing too hard, he didn't see the smirk on the others face, "Yeah! A... Haha! A Pepsi, thanks! Hehee!" He said between breaths.

Richie strode over to the soda machine he'd created and accepted the two sodas the mechanical arms handed him. Making sure Virgil was still laughing on the couch, he shook one of the sodas as hard as he could, and walked back. "Here." He said, popping open his soda. As he lifted the rim to his lips, he kept one eye on the other, keeping a few feet from him, but enough to not be suspicious.

"Thanks, bro." Virgil said while moving to open his after he'd calmed down. He slid his finger under the tab. "I don't even know what was so-" POP! The soda exploded and it was Richie's turn to be clutching his sides, laughing hysterically. Virgil's face was covered in foam and dark liquid. His hair was dripping and the uppermost part of his shirt stuck to him. The soda had run down his arms and a large amount of it had soaked his pants.

"Oh, man! Haha! That was awesome!" Richie clutched his mouth, trying to subdue the laughing fit.

Virgil stood up and waved his arms to fling the liquid off his hands. "I laugh at something and you give me a shaken-up soda?" He had a stern look on his face.

Richie frowned. "Oh, come on, bro. You know it was funny."

Virgil smiled and nodded. "Yeah. It was!" He giggled and quickly looked at Richie sternly. "But still. You do know this means war, right?"

Richie shrugged. "I figured."

They both perched their sodas next to the fan. They posed in fake fighting positions. Richie waved his hand at Virgil, signaling him to make the first move. Virgil lunged at him. Richie sidestepped the attempted attack and grabbed Virgil's shirt, flinging him back to the couch. Virgil grabbed Richie's arm and pulled him down with him. They tussled on the couch for a few minutes before they were out of breath.

"Let..go." Richie growled, panting.

Virgil strengthened his grip on the blond's wrists. "Nope." He said smiling in triumph.

"Well, then... I'll just.. Um.." Richie sighed. "Okay. You win. Now let go." Richie tugged.

"Nope. You might try poking my side again." Virgil laid his head back against the arm of the couch keeping a firm grip on the others wrists. Richie shifted his knee which pressed against Virgil's thigh. "Ow! That hurts, Rich!"

He looked at him. "Well I'm uncomfortable. I can't keep sitting like this."

Virgil thought for a second. He parted his legs a few inches to allow the other boy room. He released one wrist to push the blond's legs under his, so Richie was laying his head on Virgil's chest with their legs intertwined. Richie's face looked as red as a cherry. His heart pounded in his ears, and he started to wonder if the dark-skinned boy could feel it, which made it beat just that much harder, though he was grateful his head was facing away from his friend's knowing just how much hotter it got. Virgil laid his head back down, and stared at the stained ceiling. A smile pulled away at his mouth.

They laid there for a few minutes. _'What came over me to do that? Am I nuts!? But it doesn't feel wrong. It actually feels nice. But this isn't supposed to! This is my best friend! This is RICHIE! Not some gi_-' Virgil's internal argument was interrupted by Richie's shaky voice. "What?" The electric hero asked, lifting his head and tilting it to the side, trying to see his partner's face past the blond hair being blown from the fan.

"Are.. you awake?"

Virgil lifted an eyebrow. _'Of all the questions he could ask, why'd he ask one so... weird_?' "Umm.. Yeah?" He said, confusion clear in his voice.

Richie tilted his head down more, hiding his face once again. "Then.." He asked quietly, almost whispering. "Why are you doing this?"

Virgil was taken aback. _'Oh, God. I freaked him out_!' "Because, it's hot, and I don't feel like moving, and if I let you go you'll attack me, and there's not enough room on the couch and.. Umm.. Cause.." Virgil wracked his brain for a good way to word his sentence. "You.. Uhh, are comfortable." Richie had to lift his head a bit to hear the last part over the fan. "If you're not cool with it, you don't have to.. uh, stay." he finished lamely.

Richie didn't move. Instead, he pulled at his wrists. Virgil released them and was about to apologize when Richie wrapped his arms around the other teen's waist. "I'm fine with it." Richie said, smiling, and laid his head back on Virgil's chest, ignoring the sticky substance on his clothes. Virgil let out a relieved sigh and settled back against the couch arm. As they laid there, Richie's mind wandered. He thought about the repairs needed to be made on his skates, and remembered how he had kicked the soda machine while wearing them a while ago, and mentally giggled at his prank. His mind drifted to the soda dripping down Virgil's face; his lips, his chin, his jaw-line. _'He looked so_...' His eyes widened. _'Bad thoughts, go away before_..'

As Virgil was dozing off, Richie shifted his hips. '_Dammit_.' He thought.

Another shift and Virgil opened his eyes drearily. "What's wrong, bro?" he whispered, feeling the tiresome day taking its toll on him.

Richie pushed the couch to lift himself enough to look into the others face, but adverted his eyes as soon as they connected with Virgil's. "I just.. It's, umm.." His eyes were unfocused, and his mouth agape. Virgil took note of the deep scarlet color appearing on the super-genius' face.

"Ri-" The blond quickly stood up. "What's up? Are you okay?" He quickly asked.

Richie let out a noise somewhere between a sigh and a whimper; He looked guiltily at his worrying friend. "I'm sorry, V. I just.." His eyes darted around the room, looking everywhere but Virgil's'. He spotted the bathroom. He finally looked toward the other boy's face, and adverted his eyes to look just to the left of Virgil's ear. "I just need a shower. This heat is doing a number on me." Before he could respond, Richie was already slamming the bathroom door shut.

Virgil stared at the door. "Was it something I said?"


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: Hello, again. As promised, an update!! Yay! 8D I've worked on this chapter on and off in school and decided to finish it up tonight. This is pretty much a flashback chapter, all in Richie's POV. And this is also where it gets mildly explicit. So beware! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the story line. I just like to play with the toys. Don't sue.

EDIT: This re-work is done by Xilvrin on LJ. Thank you so much! It looks WAY better!

**Chapter 2**

Richie:

Richie looked at himself through the cracked full-body mirror they kept in the bathroom. He unzipped his suit and closed his eyes. _'Why'd I run away? That felt.. Amazing! And I ran away!? What was I thinking!?' _He slipped out of his clothes, removed his glasses, and turned on the shower. He stepped in and sighed as the water ran through his hair. He stayed that way for a few minutes as his mind wandered to thoughts about his best friend that he knows he shouldn't think of. He grabbed a bottle of vanilla-scented body-wash and poured some. He smoothed it over his whole hand and closed his eyes, and placed his other hand on the wall for support.

----

This wasn't the first time Virgil had done something so.. affectionate, though it was the first time he's done it consciously. A few months ago, Richie spent the night at Virgil's, and as always, they slept on the same bed; Richie on the outer side and Virgil near the wall. Richie, after becoming Gear and having the ever unresting mind of a genius, often stayed up most of the night and awoke hours before the mocha-skinned hero next to him. This particular night, however, was far different than the rest, as Richie would soon learn things he'd never known.

Richie was thinking about how to convert Static's jacket to withstand fire attacks, just to pass the time, when Virgil sat up and looked at Richie, whose back was turned to him. Richie didn't move, but merely listened and felt as Virgil shifted under the covers. A minute after the moving stopped, he resumed looking into the darkness.

_'If I get flame-retardant fabric, I could sew it to the inside. No, no. The outside will still burn. What if I calibrated-'_ Richie's thought-process, along with his breathing, ceased as he felt arms snake around his waist and a warm breath on the back of his neck. Richie felt Virgil press into his back, their bodies matching the curves of the other. A surge raced through him, his heart pounding, cheeks flushing, eyes widening and he had to wonder if that was from the electric current pulsing through the hero's veins, or merely from his human touch.

_'What's going on? Why's V..?'_ His brain seemed to start again. _'V must be having a dream of he and.. Ugh.'_ His jealousy getting the best of him, he tried to scoot away from the others reach, but was quickly pulled back. He heard a grumble from behind. "Rich, man. Stop movin'." Richie's brow furrowed. 'Why should I let him cuddle ME if it isn't ME he's thinking about!?' He scooted over again and was quickly forced back and turned on his other side, looking at Virgil. The dark-skinned teen was clearly sleepy, but had a look of annoyance.

"Can I help you?" Richie said, trying not to sound jealous, but equally annoyed.

Virgil raised an eyebrow. "I was fine until you moved."

Richie retorted, "Why are you hugging me? I was asleep."

"Because I want to hug you."

Richie was pulled quickly again into an embrace. Their noses touched and Virgil pressed the rest of their bodies together. He closed his eyes, momentarily enjoying the hug, warmth, and safety. One part of his brain told him to quickly release himself from Virgil's grasp before something happens that they'd both regret, but it was drowned out by the intoxicating feeling of pure bliss.

_'Does he feel the same way I do?'_ A smile graced his features, just the thought of Virgil returning his feelings sped his heart again. He didn't notice all the thoughts of Virgil with or thinking of someone else disappear. _'I would stop crying myself to sleep on the gas station's couch; he'd be there to comfort me and kiss the tears away. Oh, geeze. I sound like a tween-age girl. Not like that's too far off, thanks to my "princess-syndrome" I've been having lately. But as always, V's there to save me. He always did.'_ Richie fantasized about life being Virgil's partner. Not Static's; Virgil's.

He felt the warmth recede, and hands push against his shoulders, pushing him on his back. A weight pressed heavily against the lower half of his body. He groaned and opened his eyes, his mouth opened to say something, but all that sounded was a small gasp. Though his sight was fuzzy without his glasses and it was difficult to see in the dark, he could obviously tell Virgil was straddling him, wearing only a tank-top and his under- shorts. His skin partially glistened from the only light source which was coming from the window. A smirk played on Virgil's lips. He instinctively shot his arms up pushing on Virgil's chest as the dark-skinned boy suddenly bent down so their lips were a mere two-inches apart.

"Richie," Virgil said in a seductive tone. "I had a strange dream. I was hoping you could get my mind off it."

"W- well," Richie stuttered, not really knowing what to say. This was different from the conversation they had only a few minutes ago. Was it minutes? And on that note, what dream? "We could go patrolling. Or play s-some videogames or- AHH!" He moaned before he could stop himself as a hand squeezed his inner-thigh a bit too high.

"Come on, Rich. You're smart. Be.. creative." The last word was drug out. Richie's face flushed knowing exactly what Virgil was implying. Virgil bent another inch closer. "Kiss me."

Richie hesitated. He turned his eyes away. His arms dropped to his sides.

Virgil said it again in a frustrated tone. "Kiss me. You already stopped my cuddling. Now I don't want to play nice." After a few more seconds of Richie laying there doing nothing but trying to make sense of this, his head was suddenly jerked back by a fist clenching his blond hair. As he moaned, Virgil took the opportunity and bit Richie's bottom lip. He growled, biting harder as the boy under him struggled.

_'Oh God! Oh God, it feels so good!'_ He grabbed Virgil's waist and arched his back, harshly bucking into him. He didn't bother to acknowledge the metallic taste in his mouth as Virgil released. Virgil lightly kissed downward to Richie's neck on his Adam's Apple. He teased the soft skin with his tongue and gently nipped at it with his teeth. His hand rubbed at the abdomen under him, slowly slipping his fingers under the elastic waistband. His other hand rested gently on the pale stomach that was arching into him. Richie impatiently thrust his hips for him to continue. "Virgil.. Please. Stop teasing."

The mocha teen smirked. His hand inched further down, and suddenly both boys heard a door open down the hall. Virgil jumped up so fast from being startled, he sent a small pulse of electicity through his hand that rested on Richie's stomach. "GAH-MMPH!" His voice was muffled by a hand over his mouth.

"Oh geeze. Sorry, Rich." He whispered. "You okay?" He gently crawled from on top of him and rested on his knees.

"Y-yeah. Scared me more than anything."

They sat in awkward silence for a few moments, waiting for the door -probably Sharon's- to close again. Click. When they were sure she couldn't hear them, Virgil lifted Richie's shirt to see the damage. "Does it hurt?" Virgil asked, concerned and guilty.

It was red in the shape of a hand but nothing that Richie couldn't deal with. "It stings, but it'll be gone in a few days. Don't worry, bro." Richie sat up and smiled reassuringly.

Virgil pulled Richie into an embrace. "I'm sorry. It'll never happen again. I'm so sorry."

Richie returned the hug, wrapping his arms around Virgil's neck. They laid back down. They stared at each other for a long moment. Dark fingers played at blond hair. Virgil yawned. "Go to sleep, Virg." Richie cupped his cheek and laid a kiss on Virgil's lips.

"Mmk. You, too, though."

Richie nodded and they shuffled under the covers. Virgil wrapped his arm around Richie's waist and the other kept his hands on Virgil's chest, clenching the tank-top as if he would leave during the night and not come back._ 'I can't believe it! Virgil DOES feel the same! He feels the same and he..! And I..!'_ Coherent thoughts couldn't form so Richie decided to think upon it come morning. "Night, V." He whispered.

"Night, Rich." Virgil replied, already dozing off.

Richie smiled but only for a second. "I sure as Hell hope this isn't a dream."

When his eyes opened to the morning light, Richie could make out a silhouette blocking the blinding light shining through the window.

"Morning, Rich!" yelled Virgil, who was slipping in a shirt.

"V?" He licked at his semi- chapped lips, ignoring the strange taste in his mouth. He reached for his glasses on the nightstand as he sat up. "Why are you up so early? It's only..." Richie looked at the clock. "V! It's only seven in the morning! You're usually asleep until noon on Saturdays!"

Virgil threw the damp towel he had on the blonde's head. "I needed to shower. This spring weather is doing a number on me." Richie had a questioning look on his face as he removed towel and before asking what he meant, Virgil grabbed it and snapped it at him. "Now hurry and get ready so we can go to Burger Fool before Sharon cooks breakfast."

Richie stood up, looked around for his bag, and the memories of last night hit him. He turned to the other boy who was making poses in the mirror. "V... Last night.. I-"

"Oh yeah! I wanted to apologize about that, man!"

Richie blushed and quickly shook it off. "Yeah, don't worry about it, bro. It's cool."

Virgil raised a brow. "You sure? I thought you would've been a little mad waking up with a bloody lip."

"Dude. It's coo- Wait, what? Why would I be mad? It got a little rough, sure, but-"

"Must'a been. It's weird though. I've never been one to be rough in my sleep before. Especially never elbowing someone hard enough to make 'em bleed. I can't believe you didn't wake up."

Richie's face went white and his jaw dropped. "You.. What?" Was all he could say.

Virgil cocked his head. "Dude? You okay?"

_'He.. Doesn't remember? He doesn't remember. He doesn't remember.' _Richie stood there, wide-eyed, repeating the thought to himself over and over.

"Earth to Richie!" Virgil was waving his hand in front of Richie's face.

_'He doesn't remember anything.'_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello, peoples. Sorry it took me a while to update. I could NOT for the LIFE of me, come up with an idea. But then, in the middle of poaring a pot of steaming hot water into the sink, IT CAME TO ME! MUAHAHA!! Ahem. This is a vague and short chapter, but more will come. No worries. And yes, this chapter probably makes almost NO sense, but bear with me. Its coming. :D Reviews are always appreciated. OH! And if anyone has any news about Through a Glass, Darkly being updated anytime soon, let me know!

Disclaimer: Oh, geeze. I friken wish! They aren't mine. I just love playing with them. Don't sue.

**Chapter 3**

Virgil:

Virgil barely noticed the sound of water running, too preoccupied with pacing, trying to find something to bang his head against. _'Wall? No. Already has too much damage.' _He swiftly turned on his heel, to make his way back to the other side of the room for what seemed to be the twentieth time since Richie had ran into the bathroom. He glanced at a table full of stray metal pieces, handtools, unfinished inventions, and other various equipment Richie had scavaged from the junkyard. "Maybe I can use something sharp and replace my brain with something intelligent and.. and what the HELL was I thinking!?"

He stopped moving to kick a box of assorted wires. He folded his arms across his chest and plopped down on the floor. "I can't believe I bothered trying. I knew that would happen." he said angrily to himself. He looked at the ground as an expression of guilt and sadness displayed on his face. He pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms tightly around his legs. "I just thought I'd try it. Try and understand it."

Virgil knew he was no where near as smart as his partner. Hell, at times he knew he could be utterly dense. But he knew there had to be a meaning.. an explanation as to why this was happening. It wasn't uncommon, Virgil had thought at the beginning, for his imagination to take a leap, albeit a strange one. He was just a teenager, after all. Teenagers had dreams of people. Dreams that would pertain to the more perverted side of things. Of course, for teenage boys, those thoughts should NOT associate with his best friend. Who was a guy.

Who was in the bathroom, avoiding Virgil.

He sighed and stood up once again. He looked about the room, his distress dissolving for the moment to come up with an idea. He knew he'd have to apologize, but that didn't seem enough. Especially since he'd attempted to experiment his sexuality... no, no. That just sounded too harsh... Attempted to explore deeper thoughts. _'Better.' _But as much as Virgil didn't want to admit it, he knew he'd used his friend.

Who was still in the bathroom, avoiding Virgil.

The dark-skinned boy rubbed his chin in a thoughtful notion. Apologizing wasn't enough, but he definitely didn't want to lose his friend by ignoring this. Instead, he'd have to tell the truth. The whole truth. No matter what. This was much earlier than he was planning, if he'd ever choose to tell, but it had to be done.

He turned and stalked out his jacket by the windows, picking it up and checking the inside pockets. He found his target, pulled it out and dropped the jacket back on the floor, grabbing up his mask before righting himself. With a flick of his wrist, the metal disk opened. Virgil turned around and ran over to a writing desk, where Richie did most of his planning. The surface of the desk was piled with books, notes, and blueprints for future projects or adjustments that needed to be made to a current one. Virgil ripped a piece of paper out of one of the notebooks and snatched up a pen, putting his disk on the floor. He scribbled a quick note:

_Rich, got to get something from home. I'll be right back. -V._

Virgil grabbed his disk off the ground and took the note to the desk near the door, where Backpack was perched next to the computer, charging. The robot didn't move, even when Virgil slightly raised the metallic body, sliding an edge of the paper under it, and gently setting it back down. With one more glance at the bathroom door, he heard the noise of water still running and Virgil slipped on his mask and slid out the door.

The heat was still looming in the city, but luckily, the winds had picked up. Virgil, who now sported his alter-ego paraphernalia, excluding the jacket, hopped lightly on his disk after charging it with a raise of his hand. He spread his feet apart slightly for balance, and took off into the dark sky.

Winds whipped through Static's dreads and around his body, and his clothes clung to him from the gusts. The blast of air felt refreshing against his skin, like a pie out of the oven to cool in an open window. He crouched lower, driving more speed out of the disk and his power. He wasn't too high above the city. He stayed closer to the roofs of four or five story buildings, seeing as his house was only fifteen minutes from the Gas Station. He took the moment to enjoy the feel of his power and his body colliding with the resistance of the wind. Suddenly, it didn't feel right. He looked around.

_'Oh. That's right.' _Gear wasn't with him right now. He was at HQ.

Still in the bathroom, avoiding him.

Static growled to himself in annoyance, focusing again on his plan. For starters, he needed to get into his room without Sharon hearing him. He noted that it would be a better idea of his Pops didn't know he'd come home, either. Not that it would be bad, per se. It would just be quicker to get in, grab what he needed, and get back to Richie. The dark-skinned hero slowed himself upon seeing his home approaching, and stopped in front of his bedroom window. Using his powers to pull the ever-unlocked window open, he stepped off his disk into the room and folded it. Warmth lingered in the room for a few seconds before escaping out the window with the new breeze floating in. Static quietly stepped over the piles of clothes and stuff that covered his floor, using only the outside lights to see with, not wanted to risk someone seeing the light in his bedroom on.

"This is ridiculous. I really do gotta clean my room." He whispered to himself. He reached his book shelf and felt around, picking them up one at a time and holding them up to the small bit of light. With a smile of triumph of finding his target in almost complete darkness, he turned back around and proceeded to the window. Another flick, and with a small dose of power, he jumped out the window into the night. With another burst of power, he soared upward, not bothering to close his window. 'Way too hot for that.'

He looked into his hands at the book he'd searched for. It was fairly worn, the edges of the spine slightly curled, having been pressed down upon on more than one occasion. It had a sleek, black, plastic cover, the size of a DVD case, and about an inch thick of pages. A small black ribbon marked a space near the middle of the book. Static turned his attention towards his destination and held the book close to his chest. He'd do this, tonight. He's explain to Richie why he acted so strangely on the couch earlier. He swallowed at the thought of his friend's earlier reaction. He hoped the truth would be enough to reassure Richie he'd meant no harm; The opposite, actually. He clutched the book harder as the Gas Station finally came into sight. He felt his stomach churn with uneasiness.

"I can do this. I can do this." He told himself as he slowed and descended toward the front of the building. "Tell him, show him the book, and wait for a reaction." He said, optimistically. Seemed simple enough. Alas, had anything EVER been simple in his life?


	4. Chapter 4

A/n: Uhh.. Heh. Heeeey guys. Nice to see all your annoyed faces from the delay of this story. I'm so, so sorry for that. My computer has had crash after crash after crash. Ugh! But, for some reason, which I won't question, it is working. So, yep. I decided to update before its returned to it's hazardous state. Please enjoy this next chapter.

Disclaimer: They aren't mine. I love playing with them. Don't sue.

**Chapter 4**

Static quietly opened the door to the Gas Station. He held the book to his chest, as if it were a life force he needed to protect. The shower was no longer on; The bathroom door was wide open. Static sighed and shut the front door. His stomach churned with uneasiness. The pep-talk he'd given himself on the flight back had lost it's influence and he was tempted to hide the book, and just sputter out an apology. That is, until he saw the note he'd left for Richie was missing, along with Backpack. Static turned to the noise of metal against metal in the workshop. _'Mums, please give me the strength to do this.' _

Virgil slid off his mask and used it to fan his face. The motor-fan that was next to the couch earlier had been moved. Virgil lurked near the workshop opening before peeking through. Richie was leaning back in a chair near the far wall, lifting the two front legs off the ground. His feet were on the desk in front of him where the fan was blowing. Backpack had stood at Static's arrival, and it's red, mechanical "eye" was staring straight in Virgil's position.

Richie didn't notice. He was staring at the water stained ceiling, too overcome by his thoughts to hear Virgil's entrance in the base. His hair was still wet and messily towel dried. He sported khaki knee-high shorts, and his shoes. A white shirt and his trademark hooded sweater lay across the desk.

Virgil almost envied Richie, wishing he could take a shower himself, but this was too important. He allowed himself a few more moments to regain his wits, and admire his friend a bit, before emerging the room. He'd recently grown accustomed to staring at Richie, learning when to look away so the other didn't notice anything suspicious. At least, he hoped Richie didn't notice that his best friend checked him out. Virgil know he could be slightly oblivious.

Richie didn't notice Virgil approach. The genius continued to lean in the chair and stare. His eyes were unfocused and his mouth was agape; The same look Richie would get when he was trying to solve a mystery or find out a solution to a problem only he could fix.

Virgil cleared his throat in an attempt to gain his attention. It didn't work. Figures. Virgil knew this state of mind was difficult to get Richie out of. Sometimes, he'd count how long Richie would stay like this, but after almost two hours, he had to wake him. He stuck out a finger and let a small bolt jump to his friend's arm.

Richie's head snapped to the side. In an instant, the chair's legs were on the ground and Richie was instinctively grabbing for a Zap-Cap. "Geeze, Virg. Are you trying to give me a heart-attack?"

"Sorry, bro." Virgil had his hands raised defensively. He liked that Richie kept his defenses up in such situations, but didn't enjoy being on the receiving end.

Richie stood, trying to appear as tall and as confidant as possible. "We need to talk." He had his whole speech planned, unlike Virgil. He wasn't going to let him get away with what he'd been doing when asleep. Though Richie enjoyed it in the moment, afterwords was Hell. His brain would replay it over and over, every detail and every expression memorized. He would force himself, in the privacy of the Gas Station or his own bedroom, to admit it was all fake. Virgil didn't really want him. It was hormones that excessively erupted during late hours, when Virgil was exhausted. Richie hated himself for letting it get out of hand like it did. It was time to alert Virgil of what he'd been doing. Hopefully, it would end. "I've got something to tell you."

Virgil had his hand out in a "stop" gesture. "Me first, Rich."

"No, you need to hear this-"

Virgil shoved the black book toward Richie. Cautiously, he took and examined it. "What is it?"

"A book." Virgil smiled, lopsidedly.

Richie rolled his eyes. "Yes, Virgil, I can see that. I meant, why are you handing this to me? What's so important about it?"

Taking a deep breath, the dark-haired boy looked away, cheeks burning. "Its.. a Dream Journal."

The blond raised a brow. "A what?"

"I read that when you have a dream, its best to keep a journal entry of it. So, for the past few months, that's what I did. If I had a strange dream, I wrote it down." He glanced at Richie, but took a second, longer look at the expression he saw.

Richie's eyes were wide and his jaw dropped in sheer surprise. "Y-you... You remembered your dreams?"

Before Virgil could answer, Richie flipped open the book to the first page. As he silently read, his face flushed a deep scarlet.

Written in sloppy handwriting, was the very first time Richie had been seduced by Virgil when he'd spent the night, when Virgil had said he had a strange dream and wanted Richie's help getting his mind off of it. Though, Virgil didn't know that he physically seduced Richie. He must have thought it all to be a dream.

Virgil's heart was pounding. _'Oh, God, he's gonna think I'm a total freak! He's gonna hate me after he reads this!' _He turned away from from Richie, unable to watch the friendship he'd so cared for fall apart right before his eyes, all because he made a stupid move to tell the truth. _'Maybe I can still save this.'_

He whipped around at the sound of pages turning and snatched the book from Richie's hands.

"Hey! Give it back!" Richie yelled, having completely forgotten about his speech. "Virgil! Let me read it!" He grabbed Virgil's logo tank-top on the side after he tried running, and pulled him closer. He made a grab for the book, but Virgil stretched his arm out of reach.

"Richie! No! Why do you want to see it so bad!" Virgil struggled as Richie grabbed his forearm. Virgil twisted so his back was to Richie. Richie wrapped an arm around Virgil's torso to keep him from dashing. Richie pushed the back of Virgil's leg with his knee and they fell to the ground in a pile of limbs.

"You were showing me and now I'm interested!"

"Well, too bad!"

"Let me see it!"

"Get off!"

Richie gasped as an elbow rammed into his stomach. He coughed and crawled a few feet away, holding himself.

Virgil ran over, book still in hand, and pulled his friend to his feet. "Bro! Are you okay?"

Richie didn't say anything, merely stared at the floor, breathing heavily. Virgil pulled him toward the chair he was sitting in earlier. In one swift movement, Richie pushed Virgil into a nearby wall and seized the book. Having already calculated in his head how long he had before Virgil snapped out of his surprise, he made use of his short four point thirty-eight seconds. He sprinted to the desk and snatched up a second generation Zap-Cap. With perfect, calculated aim, he threw it, the coils opening and headed straight for Virgil.

With a thought, his powers flared to protect him. The Zap-Cap was knocked off it's course and missed.

Virgil didn't see the second one thrown immediately after.

The coils apprehended it's target, wrapping around Virgil's torso and arms. The momentum knocked him to the ground, against the wall. Luckily, he managed to keep his head from making contact with it. He struggled, his power sparked, but the coils remained strong. He gritted his teeth and looked at his captor. "Rich. Let me go, and give me that book back." He demanded.

Richie lowered his eyes. "Let me read a few stories of it; I'm trying to confirm a hypothesis of deliberate lethargy seduction on a hormonal basis."

Virgil blinked. "Uh.. What?"

Richie closed his eyes. "You'll see. Just let me read it." He opened them again. He looked on the brink of tears. "Please, V."

Virgil sighed. He knew he couldn't resist such an innocent look from Richie. He sighed. "Fine. Untie me and you can read it."

Richie smiled and flipped open the book. _'I love being able to make myself cry. It has such advantages.'_ He strode over to the captured superhero, and sat down in front of him.

"Well?" Virgil asked, looking at his restricted body.

Richie waved a finger in front of his face. "Nah. You're staying like that. I don't want you to go back on your word." He looked to the scribbled, sloppy handwriting, ignoring Virgil's pleads. Finishing the first dream, or chapter, and flipped to the next one. A particularly large header caught his eye as soon as he saw the page. "Dude?"

Virgil, who was struggling in his bonds, stopped for a brief moment and huffed. "Yes, Richie?"

"Why is the second dream in here named S and M ?"


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello, peeps! Green_Phanton4 on LJ has inspired me. So this is for you!

I did some research, and now I know almost exactly where I'm going with this story. Well.. At least, the storyline base is set. Yay! This particular chapter took forever! But woo! Eight pages is definitely an accomplishment! I hope you like this one. This has a bit of a warning, by the way. Its going to get real slashy in here. Just a warning.

EDIT: A contest, people! In this chapter, I have written a major plot point for the base of this story in one of the sentences. If you can find this word or sentence, you get a prize! :D Geuss as many times as you want.

Disclaimer: Not mine. I just like playing with the toys.**  
**

**Chapter 5**

_S and M by Virgil Hawkins. 3:28 am._

_Richie spent the night tonight. Its late and I'm wide awake. I hope I didn't wake him. I'm in the bathroom, on the floor, writing. I must really have problems. Especially if I had another dream about my best friend. Another sexual one. This makes number two. The first one was really...vivid. _

_This one was not only vivid, but...I can't believe I would think about doing that kind of thing to my best friend! It was so weird. I can't believe I'm even writing about it. The first one was bad, but not like this._

Richie sighed. He wished Virgil's story would get to it's point, already. "V, did you really have to explain your disbelief in a journal meant for writing one's dreams?" He adjusted to a cross legged position.

Virgil, who was still trapped within the coils of the Zap-Cap, huffed, but stayed silent. He kept staring at the floor, watching a beetle make it's way slowly across the room. He was nervous about writing the dream he had that night, and he procrastinated it by writing his disbelief and surprise. He was proud to say, because his dream was so vivid and realistic, that when he did finally write it out, the words came to him easily. He assumed it was from his medicine and the relaxed feeling that helped him sleep.

_I even named this dream S and M because... well...that's what it was. S and M. A slave and master based setup. Though, I was told S and M has another meaning, but I can't really remember what that was. Anyways.. I felt the urge to dominate him, but I didn't have much to use. We had fallen asleep on the couch,-_

Richie turned the page.

_- him on one side and me on the other._

_I opened my eyes. It was dark; The only illumination coming from the streetlights through some of the windows. I had groaned aloud, and I think I also did, physically...can't remember. I had a hard-on. Again, I think I did, physically. Richie shifted on his end of the couch. We had no blanket because of the heat. I was in a tank and boxer shorts. Richie was wearing, as always, a large white t-shirt and boxer shorts. I don't get how he wears it. I tried, but it's hot as hell. _

Richie looked up. "Its not hot to wear a large t-shirt when asleep. Its loose and cool."

Virgil was now slumped against the wall behind him. He shrugged as best he could. "I think a tank is better. Less clothing."

"I don't like them. Too constricting."

"Yeah, I know the feeling." Virgil struggled in his bonds to emphasize his point.

Richie leaned forward and extended his arm out and clicked the uncoil mechanism on the main Zap-Cap cartridge. The coils unraveled from Virgil's body and fell to the floor, each of the metallic cylinders tucked securely within. Virgil stretched his arms and legs, and twisted until his back popped, but stayed on the floor. "Thanks, man."

Richie nodded and lowered his head to indulge in the pages.

_Richie looked so...pretty? Uh...I guess. His mouth was partly open and his breathing was steady and deep. I almost didn't want to wake him. Almost. _

_I smirked and pushed myself up on my knees. All I could think about was the uses for that little mouth. I steadied myself above Richie and I had kept a hand on the back cushions to keep my balance. I just admired how amazing Rich looked. My heart had sped up and I found myself inching closer. I was moving to kiss him, but my eyes had ventured further down his body. It stopped at his stomach and moved back to his neck. A neck completely untouched and vulnerable. The feeling of possessiveness overcame me._

_So I bit him._

Richie's face was warm and flushed. That bite, he remembered well. The marks that Virgil left had to be hidden by Mrs. Foley's coverup for a week. He reluctantly turned to the next page.

_I pressed my body into him, unmindful of the small space we had on the couch. Richie moaned, which made me only bite harder. His skin was slightly salty-tasting and smelled of his vanilla body wash. I don't really get how I can remember the taste or smell, but anyways._

_I heard him say my name, and I let go. I loved how raspy it sounded. Turned me on more. He was looking at me confusedly. It was strange seeing him without his glasses, even in the near darkness. He asked me what I was doing- _

"Hey, Rich? Where are you at?" Virgil asked, snapping Richie out of his musing.

"Uh...You said it was weird seeing me without my glasses." He answered.

Virgil nodded and scooted forward, away from the wall. He looked at the book and Richie was inclined to move it away. "Relax. I'm not gonna take it. Just promise me something."

Richie blinked, but nodded.

Virgil took a deep breath. "Promise me, this won't make things weird between us. I don't know why I'm having dreams like this." His voice dropped considerably. "Please don't let this ruin us, Rich. You're my best friend. I can't control what my mind does; I just wrote it down."

Richie laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Bro, I promise. Though, you may be more stressed out later tonight than I am."

"What's that mean?"

Richie leaned away and quickly returned to the pages, ignoring the rapid questioning from his friend.

_He asked me what I was doing. I just smiled at him, and whispered in his ear. "Say my name like that again, Rich." I wanted to hear it again. But, even in a dream, he's stubborn. So I decided I'd make him say it. I straddled his waist and pulled him lower on the couch, so he was laying completely across it and not half on the left side. I had grabbed his wrists and roughly kissed him. It was... new yet familiar, I guess would be the best way to put it. Wet and slimy, hot breathing, and I even bit his lip. Overall, I loved it. Though, I wonder if that's really what its like to make out with a guy; with Richie. _

_Richie bucked his hips. I assumed that to be an invitation. Especially since he was kissing me as feverishly as I was kissing him._

At this point, Virgil was leaning over to see the book. He had almost made a grab for it but with a growl from Richie, he played it off like he was moving his arm to scratch his nose.

Richie's face was red and warm, and he wanted to read this book in privacy. He couldn't understand why Virgil was sticking around through his reading this, and was even more confused as to how Virgil grew the courage to show him something so intimate and private. Though, his friend was so spontaneous, even Richie's super-brain couldn't keep up with the actions he'd make. He did, however, respect Virgil for trusting in Richie, and their friendship. "Virg? Can you back off a bit? It's hard to read with you right there."

Virgil eyed him. "Come on, man, I'm letting you read this book, and I'm bored."

"What do you want me to do?" Richie asked, annoyed. "Read it out loud?"

Virgil pondered for a moment. "Sure.. I guess.."

Richie was taken aback. "Are you out of your mind!" He lowered his voice when Virgil noticeably flinched. "Bro, I get you're bored, and I can understand you're worried as to how I'm taking all this in, but reading it aloud would make it way worse." Richie knew he'd be throwing in comments, and not purposely, but from his over-analytical point of view. It was hard enough to read this book when he knew every detail from another angle, and every thought that went through his head, muffled by the lust that overcame him, remembered with each sentence. No, reading aloud was not an option.

"The next one isn't so bad. You should be able to read that one." Virgil sounded hopeful.

"No." Richie stated blankly.

"Please? I won't interrupt. Cross my heart,-" Virgil made crisscross movements over his chest with his finger. "-hope to be Ebon-ized."

"No, Virgil."

"I'll take it back."

"What are you, in elementary school?"

Virgil crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

After a long pause, Richie sighed. There was no way he was getting out of this. "Fine. The next one. Now let me finish, we'll take a break, and I'll read the next one." It wasn't until Virgil seemed satisfied with getting up and walking to the desk, scrounging for a deck of playing cards, and sitting again in front of Richie to play a game of solitaire, did Richie turn the page and continue.

_I decided to take it a bit further. I let go of one of his wrists, intending to lift his shirt, but he used the opportunity to push us off the couch. We rolled, and he landed on top. He was nipping my neck and collarbone, and straddling me. _

_I tried to get up but when I'd push off the ground, he'd grab my hands from the floor and back down I'd go. I was, truthfully, getting frustrated. I got one hand under me long enough to manage a sitting position. He grabbed my shoulders at the same time as I grabbed a fistful of his hair. I pulled his head back so he couldn't move. _

_I know I didn't hurt him; It wasn't that hard. I just did it so he'd stop trying to dominate ME! _

Richie inwardly smiled. He had been thinking about the first time Virgil had tried to seduce Richie in the middle of the night, and when he did it again, Richie wanted to show Virgil how he felt. But when Virgil had yanked his head back to keep him still, he just wanted the submissive end. He gave in to it that night, and he'd be willing to give in to it again. Give in to Virgil.

_I ran my tongue slowly up Richie's neck to his earlobe. I paused for anticipation. I blew in his ear very softly, and the shutter that wracked up Richie's body had me grinning like a kid in a candy store. I licked it, and Richie's fingers on my shoulder gripped harder. He was turned on._

"You have no idea." Richie said to himself, to which Virgil looked up and raised an eyebrow.

_I loosened my grip on his hair so he could move his neck again. He looked at me with this expression that...Its hard to explain. He looked longing, wanting. Willing._

_I nearly lost it right there. I moved forward to kiss him again, but his hands stopped me. I backed up a bit, thinking he wanted me to tell me something. But he just stared at me. For a few moments, he watched my every movement. I advanced a kiss, but more forcefully. He stopped me again. _

_Those hands wouldn't let me claim the soft, mint-tasting, sweet lips that I so desired. I moved my hand from his hair and stood up, bringing Richie up with me. I drug him to a pile of clothes we were wearing earlier...well, I guess you could call it today. Because this dream was based off today, I think. _

_Anyways, I rummaged through the clothes until I found the pants I had been wearing. I pulled off the belt and turned around. Richie was backing up toward the couch. Fine with me, I thought. I stalked to him. He didn't look...Yeah, I guess he did. He looked frightened. I reassured him by stopping and telling him I wasn't going to hurt him. I never would. _

Richie looked up to his friend, who was staring at him intently. Mindlessly, he turned the page and lowered his head. He was only frightened because he didn't know how far Virgil might have gone in his sleep-seduction. He knows now, but considering this was only the second time Virgil had done it, Richie had a right to be even a little frightened.

_Richie may have had a frightened expression, but as soon as he felt his leg touch the sofa, he stood his ground. Firmly, he said "wake up." I didn't get it, so I kept moving closer. He said it again, then a third time. I just ignored it by now. Soon, we were only a few feet apart. I was holding the belt, ready to pounce. Richie seemed ready to bolt. _

_Both happened simultaneously. He darted to the left as I jumped forward. I missed him, but when I swiftly turned, still in the air, my foot caught his. I only fell on the couch but he tumbled to the ground. I took advantage and straddled him from behind. I sat on his back and gripped his wrists, pulling them behind him. He didn't struggle as I tied the belt and tightened it._

_I raised myself off of him enough to turn him over. He looked fairly annoyed, but I didn't want him to run from me, or be scared of me. Though, now that I think about it, why would I tie him up to reassure him that I won't cause any harm? Seems kind of hypocritical, eh? _

_Richie didn't move at all, just laid there and watched as I pulled off my own shirt and lifted his to his chest. I remember thinking that I should have taken his shirt off before I tied his wrists. I ran my hands over his exposed skin, trying to avoid his gaze. He was making me paranoid with the way he was looking at me. I tried to ignore it, but he looked so pissed. I asked why, but he didn't speak. _

_Guilt was overcoming my desire, so I gripped the belt, about to untie it. Then, I thought about the way Richie had said my name earlier, and how he kissed me with such passion, that this had to be a charade. So I smiled, and pinched his left nipple. Softly at first, then a little harder, and harder. I pinched until he bit his bottom lip, then I let go. It was adorable and sexy, by all means, but I didn't want him biting his lip; I wanted him saying my name. _

_When I stopped, his face fell into the same bland expression. I pinched the right nipple, much in the same manner, and he did it again. I leaned down and bit the right bud, licked it, and bit harder. Same for the left; Bit it, licked it, and bit harder. I kept my eyes upward to watch his face change. I licked the center of his chest, and slowly ran my tongue down his stomach. He was stifling any noises from escaping his lips, which just invited me for more teasing. I kept moving downward, until I reached the waistband on his boxers. I slid one of my hands over the floor, down to his thigh, as I tugged lightly at the waistband with my teeth. As soon as I touched his skin with my hand, a small gasp escaped his lips. It was definitely music to my ears, but humans are greedy. Once we get a taste of something, we want more, and I wanted more noises from him._

_I touched my fingertips to the edge of his boxers and slid my hand up further. Richie's eyes were closed and his scowling expression was completely gone. He was biting his lip and his hands were struggling against the bonds. "Rich," I whispered. "do you want me to keep moving my hand up?" _

_He nodded immediately, and I complied. I moved my hand up a few centimeters, until I felt a large source of warmth. He was right there, so close. I could pleasure him in unspeakable ways. Ways that no girl could do for him. I could claim him as mine, claim him in my hands, or mouth. Use my tongue to make him submit to me. Oh, how tempting it was. But not enough. I knew what we both wanted, and I wanted my name to come from his little mouth, then he'd get what he wanted. _

_I slid my hand out from his boxers and slid back up his body, straddling him once again. "Pl-lease?" he begged._

_I shook my head, and licked his bottom, swollen lip. "Richie, say my name." I told him. _

_He closed his eyes and, stubbornly, said nothing. _

_I figured as much, so I sat back up and slid off of his body with my knees, and maneuvered myself to lay on my stomach in between his legs. I told him, again, to say my name. When I heard nothing but silence, I licked his upper-thigh, near the rim of his boxer-shorts' leg opening. He tried pulling his leg away but I kept a firm grip on it. I licked it a few times, before nipping the tender skin. He arched his back, but with my teeth touching him, he didn't pull. I opened my mouth wide, and bit down, hard. I sucked on the skin until it was enough to leave a large, scarlet marking. It was a wonderful feeling to know he had been marked by me; To be claimed by me. It felt like an addicting drug, like _he_ was the drug, and I wanted more. _

_I felt him struggle to sit up and I stopped. I looked up at him with an innocent expression and asked what was wrong. _

_He growled, and told me this: "Stop teasing me! If you're going to do, do it! Just stop teasing!" He pulled at his wrists from behind, and I smirked. _

_I sat up, and reached one hand around his back to the belt, and my other hand gripped the back of his blond hair. I pulled him close and touched our foreheads together. "Now, Rich. I don't think you're the one holding all the cards here." I released his hair and touched his dry, pink lips. "I want to hear you say my name, Richie." _

"_Make me." _

Richie hastily stood and walked over the door into the main room. "I'm going to sit in the bathroom to read this." He said before Virgil had a chance to ask. "I can't read this with you sitting there and watching."

"But I'm not watching." The dark skinned boy protested. He held up the three cards he was holding and motioned to the rest that were laying in small piles in front of him. "I'm playing this card game that was invented for the lonely."

Richie shook his head and made a b-line for the bathroom.

Virgil quickly followed, and caught the door knob before Richie could shut it. "Whats your sudden problem, Rich? I know its really, really weird to read this, but we made a deal. Either you read it in front of me or not at all."

The blond looked away. He couldn't tell his friend that he already knew what was going to happen. He couldn't tell Virgil that he knew about the teasing and the moans and the begging. He couldn't tell him that he already knew that he'd completely submitted to him. And he definitely couldn't tell him that he knew all this from first hand _experience._ "V, I just want to read this alone. I've only got about two pages left to read, and I'd prefer to read them alone. This scene... seems to be getting very intimate. And it's too awkward to read them in front of you, even in my head."

Virgil reluctantly let go of the door, and turned around, heading back to the workshop without a word.

Richie whispered a quick 'thanks' and shut the door. He flipped on the light and sat in front of the mirror for the second time that night. He reopened the book to the page he was at and took a deep breath.

"_Make Me."_

_Its kind of confusing to write down everything that happened at this point, but I'll try. I sat him on my lap and slowly bucked my hips. He had wrapped his legs around my waist. I used my left to rub his thigh, moving it a bit higher with every slow stroke. With my other hand, I directed his head with my movements. To bite his neck, I'd tug his hair to have plenty of access to the soft skin. _

_When I bit down, I sucked as lightly as possible. I had already left one large bite mark on his neck, and I wanted only one to be there. I've no clue why. It was a dream. No matter how realistic it seemed. _

_Within a few minutes, Richie started to buck his hips in rhythm to mine. I let go of his neck, and he immediately moved for my own. I allowed him, as I was occupied with something else. I had stopped rubbing his leg and reached behind me for one of the old pillows on the couch. His tongue felt so good on my skin. It was warm and wet, and when he would bite down, a rush of warmth would race through my body. _

_I ripped the pillow a bit more than it already was, and reached in it, grabbing a small feather. I threw the pillow to the side and pushed him away a few inches, just enough to cease his own teasing on my neck. I returned to stroking his leg if my left hand, but differently. I traced the feather very, very lightly on his skin. Higher up his leg, and back down, stopping to rub the spot I had bitten, and continuing down, then repeat. _

_This seemed to drive Richie wild. He tossed his head back and squeezed his legs tighter around me. I bucked my hips fast and hard, knocking him out of rhythm with me. _

"_V-vir..." He gasped as I bucked and ran over the bitten part of his thigh with the feather simultaneously. _

_I could feel myself coming close to climax, and I knew he was closer. I stopped moving my hand and hips, and leaned forward. "What was that, Rich?"_

_He narrowed his eyes and slumped foreward. "Please, please don't stop. God, please."_

"_God isn't the one doing this. I am."_

"_Stop teasing. Please."_

_I smirked and bucked my hips lightly. "Say it."_

"_V-Virg." _

_I shook my head. "Oh no. I want to hear-" I bucked my hips again. "-you say my name like before. Beg it." I moved my hand up his leg again, but I didn't stop. Further up his shorts, slowly. I held the feather with my index finger and thumb, and kept my other fingers to my palm. I stopped, the source of warmth was directly in front of my hand. I wanted to touch it, but instead, touched the tip of the feather to it. _

_As soon as it made contact, Richie bucked his hips. I claimed his lips with my own, and ran the feather up and down him. _

_He pulled at his arms to no avail, and slung his head backwards, and yelled, "Virgil! For God's sake, Virgil!"_

_I bucked my hips as hard as possible as he did, and he hit his climax. With a few more thrusts, I hit my own. _

_It was pure ecstasy, so deliciously wonderful. A white light behind my eyelids, and we slumped into each other, breathing heavily. I waited a few minutes before reaching behind him and untying the belt. _

_I climbed back on the couch, sticky and wet. It was a dream, what did it matter? I laid my head back, smiling, and triumphant, as Richie went straight to the bathroom. I heard the door click, and closed my eyes. _

_That's when I woke up, for real. Richie was on the left side of the couch, blanket pulled over him. That's when I got up to come in here. I wasn't surprised that it was a wet dream. That part was way too realistic to have been completely a dream. So I quietly went to the bathroom after grabbing this book from my backpack and a change of clothes. _

_Well, I guess that's all for this dream. Odd, exciting, and utterly confusing. _

_-Virgil Hawkins_

Richie closed the book. He couldn't read _that_ in front of Virgil. He looked up to the mirror, to his sweaty, shirtless reflection. It was still terribly hot, and being in this stuffy bathroom just made it worse. He picked himself off the floor and switched off the light. He opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. The only light on was in the workshop, and Richie could see that Virgil was pacing, from the shadows on the floor. He ran his fingers through his hair, deciding how to approach the topic at hand.

He could tell Virgil that everything in these books are real, and wait for a reaction. He could keep it hidden and continue to try and find answers to it. The latter had the least risk of ruining their friendship. _'Though,'_ Richie thought, _'Virgil took a leap by showing this thing to me. He probably had thought I would have flipped and told him to get lost, that I wasn't interested in any of this. But he trusted in our friendship. So that's what I'll do.'_

Richie stepped into the light of the workshop, and Virgil stopped pacing. They eyed each other for a moment, and Richie held up the little black book. "Virg, we have something that we really have to talk about."


End file.
